As someone who covered Windows 10 exhaustively, I can tell you it was an interesting time.
Microsoft was excited and said that they were done with new versions of Windows and would be stopping at Windows 10. Apparently, not so.
Microsoft has now released a new, next-gen desktop operating system, have called it Windows 11, it’s already available in beta and will be released by holiday 2021 (though perhaps not for upgrades). Over the next few weeks and months, Windows Insiders will get to try out all the new features and watch as the platform matures. Here’s everything you need to know about Windows 11 right now.
In an announcement on the Windows blog, Microsoft announced the following:
Windows has always existed to be a stage for the world’s innovation. It’s been the backbone of global businesses and where scrappy startups became household names. The web was born and grew up on Windows. It’s the place where many of us wrote our first email, played our first PC game, and wrote our first line of code.
Windows is the place people go to create, to connect, to learn, and to achieve – a platform over a billion people today rely on.
The responsibility of designing for that many people is one we don’t take lightly. The past 18 months brought an incredible shift in how we used our PCs; we went from fitting the PC into our lives to trying to fit our whole lives into the PC. Our devices weren’t just where we went for meetings, classes, and to get things done, but where we came to play games with friends, binge watch our favorite shows and, perhaps most meaningfully, connect with one another. In the process we found ourselves recreating the office banter, the hallway chatter, workouts, happy hours, and holiday celebrations – digitally.
What was so powerful was the shift in the PC we saw and felt – from something practical and functional to something personal and emotional. This is what inspired us as we were building the next generation of Windows. To build you a place that feels familiar, where you can create, learn, play, and most importantly, connect in all-new ways.
Today, I am humbled and excited to introduce you to Windows 11, the Windows that brings you closer to what you love.
They added a video.
Windows 11 new Start Menu
They have simplified the design and user experience to empower productivity and inspire creativity. From the new Start button and taskbar to each sound, font, and icon, everything has been done intentionally to put you in control and bring a sense of calm and ease.
They put Start at the center and made it easier to quickly find what you need. Start utilizes the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you your recent files no matter what platform or device you were viewing them on earlier, even if it was on an Android or iOS device.
Windows 11 snap
Windows 11 is offering the flexibility of multiple windows and the ability to snap apps side by side. New in Windows 11, Microsoft is introducing Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops to provide an even more powerful way to multitask and stay on top of what you need to get done.
These are new features designed to help you organize your windows and optimize your screen real estate so you can see what you need just the way you want in a layout that’s visually clean. You can also create separate Desktops for each part of your life and customize them to your liking – imagine having a Desktop for work, gaming, or school.
Windows 11 desktops
Windows has always been about helping you work how you want, by offering the flexibility of multiple windows and the ability to snap apps side by side. New in Windows 11, Microsoft is introducing Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops to provide an even more powerful way to multitask and stay on top of what you need to get done.
These are new features designed to help you organize your windows and optimize your screen real estate so you can see what you need just the way you want in a layout that’s visually clean. You can also create separate Desktops for each part of your life and customize them to your liking – imagine having a Desktop for work, gaming, or school.
Windows 11 Gaming
For gamers, Windows 11 is made for you. Gaming has always been fundamental to what Windows is all about. Today, hundreds of millions of people around the world game on Windows and find joy and connection with loved ones and friends through play.
Windows 11 unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware, putting some of the latest gaming technology to work for you. Like: DirectX 12 Ultimate, which can enable breathtaking, immersive graphics at high frame rates; DirectStorage for faster load times and more detailed game worlds; and Auto HDR for a wider, more vivid range of colors for a truly captivating visual experience.
Windows 11 Widgets
In addition, Windows 11 brings you closer to the news and information you care about faster with Widgets – a new personalized feed powered by AI and best-in-class browser performance from Microsoft Edge. Even when we’re at our most focused and creative we still need breaks – a moment to check in with the outside world or give ourselves a mental reset.
Today, we often pick up our phones to check the news, weather, or notifications. Now, you can open a similarly curated view directly from your desktop. When you open your personalized feed it slides across your screen like a sheet of glass so it doesn’t disrupt what you’re doing. For creators and publishers, Widgets also opens new real estate within Windows to deliver personalized content. Our aspiration is to create a vibrant pipeline for global brands and local creators alike, in a way that both consumers and creators can benefit.
Basically, Windows 11 is refining and reimagining the Windows experience and we’re here for it.
Stay tuned to Windows11news.com for more news and information.
